Miguel Cabrera Placed on Tigers IL with Biceps Injury; Josh Lester Called Up
Sep 4, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 01: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers at bat in the game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on October 01, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers announced Sunday that they placed designated hitter Miguel Cabrera on 10-day injured list with a biceps strain and called up infielder Josh Lester from Triple-A Toledo.
Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported Saturday night that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team hoped to have the future Hall of Famer back in 10-14 days.
Cabrera is one of the most decorated players of his generation, with 12 All-Star appearances, four American League batting titles, two AL MVP awards and a World Series title with the Florida Marlins in 2003.
The 39-year-old compiled a mediocre .701 OPS during the 2021 season. He's posted .256 average with four homers in 102 games in 2022, but he enjoyed a landmark moment when he recorded his 3,000th hit in April.
While the Venezuela native was highly durable for the vast majority of his career, injuries have started to become a bigger factor in recent years. He last played over 140 games in 2016, with his most extended absence coming in 2018 when he was limited to 38 games with a ruptured biceps tendon.
Last season, Cabrera missed 32 games, including time spent on the injured list with a biceps strain.
Detroit will likely use a committee approach to fill the void at designated hitter. Eric Haase, Kody Clemens and Willi Castro lead the club's reserve options.
Cabrera landing on the IL doesn't do much to impact the Tigers' outlook for the remainder of the season since they are last in the AL Central with a 51-82 record, but it could impact home attendance since seeing Cabrera at the tail end of his career is one of Detroit's biggest draws, although he plans to play next season.
Royals' Amir Garrett Says He Sent Jersey to Fan He Threw Drink On at White Sox Game
Aug 16, 2022
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 31: Amir Garrett #24 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium on July 31, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
Kansas City Royals reliever Amir Garrett attempted to make amends after throwing his drink toward a fan at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
Following Monday's 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Garrett told reporters he contacted the fan and "had dialogue and stuff like that."
"There was no hard feelings there," he said. "I sent a jersey to him and his son, stuff like that. He was very grateful because it could have went south. But he was very kind to me, and I was letting him know how upset I was that in the moment I reacted like that."
While standing in the dugout during a 9-2 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 2, the southpaw tossed his drink toward a fan in the first row.
MLB suspended Garrett for three games, which was originally slated to go into effect starting Monday. However, he's appealing the ruling, thus allowing him to remain eligible for the time being.
Garrett was also suspended seven games last season for his role in a bench-clearing brawl when the Cincinnati Reds played the Chicago Cubs. That suspension was ultimately reduced to five games after appeal.
The 30-year-old logged one inning of work in Monday's game. He has made 41 appearances this season, posting a 4.45 ERA and 34 strikeouts across 32.1 innings.
Buying or Selling 1st-Place Guardians Making a Sneaky Deep Playoff Run
Aug 12, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 23: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after the 7-4 win against the Chicago White Sox during game one of a doubleheader at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 23, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Of the six division leaders in Major League Baseball right now, the Cleveland Guardians are surely the one that's been talked about the least.
This may or may not be because they only just grabbed the lead in the American League Central on Wednesday, but it's nonetheless time to get serious about taking them seriously.
It's in part thanks to the Minnesota Twins' recent 5-9 skid that the Guardians are where they are right now, but this is hardly an "Oops, I guess we're in first" situation. The Guardians had been lingering in Minnesota's rear-view mirror for weeks, and they've made their move at the right time in the form of a five-game winning streak that's pushed their record to 59-52 and their lead over the Twins to 1.5 games.
A lead that small doesn't put the Guardians firmly in the driver's seat, but the odds suggest they might as well put the division-clinching bubbly on ice. FanGraphs gives Terry Francona's club a 44.6 percent chance of winning the AL Central, handily besting the Twins' 35.7 percent and the Chicago White Sox's 19.8 percent.
The catch is that these same odds peg the Guardians as a long shot for a deep playoff run. They have just a 26.9 percent chance of making it to the Division Series, a 9.7 percent to make it to the Championship Series and a 3.4 percent chance for the World Series.
To win the World Series? There's a number there, but it's pretty small. As in, 1 percent small.
As for whether these Guardians deserve more confidence than this, let's attempt to answer that question with a good, ol' fashioned game of "Buy or Sell."
Why to Buy the Guardians
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 07: Catcher Luke Maile #12 and Starting pitcher Triston McKenzie #24 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate after the first inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field on August 07, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
If there's one reason to believe that the Guardians would be a nightmare matchup in October, it's the one that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch keyed in on after his club took a 3-2 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday.
"They have a tremendous pitching staff,” Hinch told reporters.
For literal starters, there's Cleveland's one-two punch of 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber and breakout star Triston McKenzie. The two of them have a combined 2.45 ERA over 13 starts since July 1, largely by way of dominance with breaking balls. Among AL hurlers, Bieber and McKenzie rank third and six on whiffs on breakers since the start of July.
Though the former is better known for his knuckle-curveball, it's the slider that's working best for him right now:
As hot as Bieber and McKenzie have been, even they have nothing on Cleveland's late-inning relief trio of James Karinchak, Trevor Stephan and Emmanuel Clase. Since Karinchak returned from a shoulder injury on July 4, those three have put up a 1.24 ERA with 65 strikeouts, seven walks and one home run allowed over 43.2 innings.
If Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale or Zach Plesac were to subsequently step up, Cleveland could overwhelm opponents with a top-heavy pitching staff much like Atlanta did in 2021, when it was Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson setting 'em up and Tyler Matzek, A.J. Minter and Will Smith knocking 'em down.
Another area where Atlanta excelled en route to winning the World Series was in fielding the ball. This is likewise part of the blueprint that the Guardians stand to copy. Their defense rates as one of MLB's five best for outs above average, defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating.
With arms and gloves like these, the Guardians have unsurprisingly been able to get away with their bats being merely good enough. Their output of 4.32 runs per game is only 0.1 runs above the average for the entire American League.
The Guardians offense nonetheless has its merits, including good baserunning and an even better clutch gene. Led by José Ramírez and his stellar .977 OPS in high-leverage situations, the team has a .756 OPS in those spots. That's third in the AL behind the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
Further, it's no secret by now that Guardians hitters don't give away at-bats. The club's 18.5 strikeout percentage is the lowest in baseball. That habit could make a huge difference in the playoffs, where strikeouts tend to be even more frequent than in the regular season:
Just how much of a difference does winning the strikeout battle make in October? Pretty big. Of the 269 playoff games played between 2015 and 2021, teams that struck out fewer times than their opponents won 153 times. That's a .569 winning percentage.
Why to Sell the Guardians
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 04: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Zach Plesac (34) hands the baseball to Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona (77) as he leaves the game during the fifth inning of the the Major League Baseball game between the Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians on August 4, 2022, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Even if the Guardians make the playoffs as the AL Central champion, they aren't likely to also close the double-digit gap in the standings between them and the East-leading Yankees and West-leading Houston Astros.
If so, the Guardians would face longer odds of advancing in the playoffs by default. Whereas the two best division winners in a given league go straight to the Division Series under MLB's new playoff format, the third-best division winner gets no such break. It has to win a best-of-three series in the Wild Card Round to advance.
Oh, and about that success rate for when teams log fewer strikeouts than their opponents in the playoffs.
It's definitely good, but it's not the most telling datapoint for what really gets teams through October. Nothing does that like home runs. Between 2015 and 2021, teams that won the home run battle within a game also won the game itself 175 times. That's a .651 winning percentage.
This, too, doesn't bode as well for the Guardians. The 87 home runs they've hit this season place them ahead of only the lowly Tigers among all of MLB.
The Guardians obviously didn't plan on being this punchless on offense in 2022. They had every reason to pencil Franmil Reyes in for 30-plus home runs in support of Ramírez in the middle of the lineup. But the big guy simply never showed up, hitting .213 with nine homers in 70 games before Cleveland designated him for assignment on Saturday.
The jettisoning of Reyes would have been easier to stomach if it happened in the wake of the Guardians adding a big-ticket slugger ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline. They did not add one of those. Or really anything else, for that matter.
— FanDuel Sports Network Cleveland (@FanDuelSN_CLE) August 2, 2022
Without a power-hitting savior, the Guardians' best hope of winning the oh-so-crucial home run battle in October may not be their offense generating long balls, but their pitching staff preventing them. Yet this isn't necessarily a staff specialty, as it ranks in the middle of the pack among AL clubs in home runs allowed per nine innings.
More broadly, there's the question of whether this is the team that's going to snap the AL Central out of its recent playoff funk. No AL Central team has won a playoff series since Cleveland dispatched the Blue Jays in the 2016 ALCS. Worse, AL Central clubs are just 4-19 in postseason games since 2017.
This speaks to the general weakness of the AL Central relative to the other two divisions in the American League, to which these Guardians aren't exactly bucking the trend. They're 28-21 against AL Central foes, but only 21-23 against foes from the East and West.
The Final Verdict
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 07: Closing pitcher Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians leaves the field after the Guardians defeated the Houston Astros at Progressive Field on August 07, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Astoros 1-0. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Because we simply must have our cake and eat it too, we'll leave everyone with a conclusion and an asterisk.
To the former, we'll sell the idea that the Guardians are a threat for a deep playoff run.
As much as there is to like about the top end of their rotation, the back end of their bullpen, their defense and their contact-happy offense, it's hard to decide which is a worse omen: that said offense generally doesn't do what works best in October, or that they haven't been any less of a pushover than the AL Central contenders that came before them.
But do they deserve better than a 3.4 percent chance to make it to the World Series and a meager 1 percent chance to win it? You bet, and that's the asterisk.
Not all of recent history is working against the Guardians after all. They bear a resemblance to the 2015 Kansas City Royals, who arose from a weak AL Central to win the World Series even though they were out-homered by their opponents 21-17 across three playoff series.
Rather than home runs, the '15 Royals dispatched teams through excellent work from their front-end starters and back-end relievers, as well as shutdown defense and an offense predicated on situational hitting and baserunning.
Sound familiar?
To be sure, home runs became too prevalent—as in, more prevalent than ever before—between 2016 and 2021 for the Royals model to really catch on. Yet the offensive environment for 2022 has more in common with that of 2015. To wit, the 1.08 home runs per game (per team) being hit this year aren't far off from the 1.01 hit in '15.
On this account, at least, baseball seems ready for a surprise the likes of which the Guardians seem ready, willing and able to provide.
Al Avila Fired as Tigers GM, EVP After Nearly 22 Years with Organization
Aug 10, 2022
LAKELAND, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Detroit Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Al Avila looks on during Spring Training workouts at the TigerTown Complex on February 14, 2019 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers announced Wednesday that they have "parted ways" with executive vice president and general manager Al Avila, who spent nearly 22 years with the organization.
"Once I decided to make a change, I sat down with Al and thanked him for his nearly 22 years of service to our organization," Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said in a statement. "Al's loyalty and dedication has served as an example to all during his time as a leader in our baseball operations department.
"I will oversee the search process for our next baseball operations leader, in collaboration with several members of our baseball and business operations executive teams."
Ilitch added:
"I want to re-establish our momentum and progress towards building a winning team and I am driven to find a talented executive to help us do that. They'll be entering an organization with many foundational elements in place and an exciting path forward. Tigers fans deserve winning teams, and I'm highly focused and committed to deliver that to the people of Detroit and Michigan. With new baseball operations leadership will come a fresh perspective toward evolving our roster and maximizing our talent to reach our objectives. To be clear, our goals are to build a team that wins on a sustainable basis, qualifies for the playoffs, and ultimately wins the World Series."
The Tigers hired Avila as assistant general manager and vice president in April 2002. In August 2015, he was promoted to general manager and executive vice president after the club released Dave Dombrowski.
Avila said in a statement:
"For nearly 22 years, I have given my heart and soul to this franchise, and I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch, along with Chris, for the opportunity and treating me and my family as their own. We've celebrated successes and enjoyed great moments, and I'm proud to have worked with so many talented people in baseball operations and throughout the organization.
"I'll cherish our friendships and the successes we all celebrated together. To Tigers fans, you're the best and you deserve a winner. I wish the results would have been better this season but know there is a lot to look forward to in the coming years. God bless everyone."
Since Avila officially took over in 2015, the Tigers have not made the postseason, finishing only one campaign (2016) above .500.
The Tigers entered into a rebuild in 2017, trading J.D. Martinez, Justin Verlander, Justin Upton, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila midseason.
With the rebuild in full swing, Detroit hired Ron Gardenhire to replace Brad Ausmus in October 2017. After going 64-98 in 2018, the club went on to have a disastrous 2019 campaign, finishing last in the AL Central with a 47-114 record. Detroit hadn't lost more than 100 games since the 2003 season.
Gardenhire remained as the club's manager through most of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he stepped down because of health reasons in late September. Lloyd McClendon took over on an interim basis before being replaced by A.J. Hinch in 2021, and the team finished third in the division.
That brings us to 2022, with the Tigers once again sitting at last place in the AL Central with a 43-68 record despite landing two of the best free agents on the market over the winter in Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodriguez.
However, Báez, along with nearly every other player on the Detroit roster, has underperformed, and Rodriguez has stepped away from the team because of personal reasons, though he is expected to return this month.
The Tigers did see some solid prospects graduate from their minor league system over the 2021 and '22 seasons in Spencer Torkelson, Riley Green, Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Matt Manning.
With those promotions, the Tigers have the 24th-ranked prospect pool in MLB, per ESPN's post-trade-deadline rankings. Now the franchise's next general manager will be tasked with not only building up the club's prospect pool but also fielding a contending team.
MLB Rumors: White Sox SS Tim Anderson out 4-6 Weeks with Hand Injury
Aug 9, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox singles during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 03, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson will be sidelined between four and six weeks with a torn ligament in his hand, according to Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports and Stadium.
It's possible Anderson could need surgery to fix the issue, Dorsey added.
Anderson last played for the White Sox in an 8-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday, going 0-for-4 at the plate.
According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Anderson suffered the injury on a check swing in his final at-bat during that game and returned home on Sunday to have his hand examined.
The 29-year-old missed Sunday's 8-2 win over the Rangers while serving the first of a two-game suspension for making contact with home plate umpire Nick Mahrley in a 7-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics on July 29.
He was due to miss the first game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to serve the second game of his suspension.
It's been a decent season for Anderson. Before suffering the injury, he was slashing .301/.339/.395 with six home runs, 25 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 79 games. He earned the second All-Star Game selection of his career.
For comparison, Anderson hit .309/.338/.469 with 17 home runs, 61 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 123 games during the 2021 campaign.
With Anderson sidelined, Leury Garcia is a candidate to replace him at shortstop, though it's unclear who might see time in the lead-off spot. Garcia has played 12 games at shortstop this season
The White Sox are 55-53 entering Tuesday's doubleheader against the Royals. Anderson's injury comes at an unfortunate time for the franchise as it is just two games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins for the AL Central lead.
The earliest Anderson will return is the first week of September for a series against the Seattle Mariners. If he's sidelined for the full six weeks, he won't return until late September, when time is winding down in the regular season.
White Sox Star Tim Anderson's Suspension for Touching MLB Umpire Reduced to 2 Games
Aug 7, 2022
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 4: Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox looks to throw the ball against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on August 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Chicago White Sox will reportedly be without their All-Star shortstop for their next two games.
Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported Anderson reached a settlement with Major League Baseball and will be suspended two games for an incident that happened July 29. The original punishment was three games.
Umpire Nick Mahrley ejected Anderson from a July 29 game against the Oakland Athletics, prompting the shortstop to approach him and continue arguing about a strike call. Anderson's helmet made contact with Mahrley's cap, leading to the suspension.
That means Anderson will miss Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers and then the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals with Chicago having the day off Monday.
The 29-year-old has once again been a key piece in the White Sox's lineup and is slashing .301/.339/.395 with six home runs, 25 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 79 games. He was named an All-Star for the second consecutive year and also has the 2019 batting title on his resume.
While Anderson has been largely excellent, he and his team have dealt with some inconsistency of late.
He is 0 for his last 15, and Chicago is just 5-5 in its last 10 games. It dropped two of the first three in a four-game set against the Rangers and will look to salvage a split without his bat in the order Sunday.
The White Sox are in third place in the American League Central at 54-53, although they are just three games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins.
They are also three games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final American League wild-card spot, so having Anderson find his form again once he returns from his brief suspension figures to be important if they are going to make a playoff push down the stretch.
Tigers' Miguel Cabrera Intends to Play Out Contract, Retire After 2023 Season
Aug 5, 2022
DETROIT, MI - JULY 27: Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera (24) looks on in the dugout during an MLB game against the San Diego Padres on July 27, 2022 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One of the greatest baseball players of his generation is coming back for a 21st season.
Miguel Cabrera revealed Friday to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News that he will return to the Detroit Tigers for the 2023 season.
"No way am I going to quit…Next year I’m going to be right here," Cabrera said.
This has seemingly been the plan for some time for Cabrera, who previously said he planned to play through the 2023 campaign.
"My right knee is really bad," Cabrera told ESPN's Sage Steele in August 2021 (h/t Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press) . "I need to take care of this in the offseason and prepare myself for next season. I say two more years. I think that's enough. I will be happy with 20 years in the big leagues if I can make it. Thank God for giving me this opportunity. Two more years and I'm done."
Retiring after 2023 makes sense from a timing perspective considering he is under contract through that season with mutual options for 2024 and 2025. He will make $32 million in what figures to be his final season at 40 years old.
Yet things seemed to change some during the 2022 season.
"I don't feel well right now," he said in August, per Petzold. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play, but I don't feel really good right now."
Cabrera also said he planned on discussing his status with his agent, Tigers general manager Al Avila and "everybody" before he decided on retiring or returning for the 2023 campaign.
There also seemed to be a ceremonial passing of the torch to the next generation in July when he and Albert Pujols were named to the All-Star Game. The league even called the two legendary players "special All-Star selections" in its announcement, and the entire thing took on the feeling of a goodbye to two players who would be retiring.
Throw in the fact that Cabrera recorded the 3,000th hit of his career during an April game against the Colorado Rockies, and there wasn't much left to achieve.
He became the seventh player in league history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, joining a list of all-time greats in Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
Perhaps a retirement would have been natural after all that, but he will look to add to a resume that includes a World Series title, two American League MVPs, a Triple Crown, seven Silver Sluggers, four batting titles and 12 All-Star selections.
The championship came in 2003 as a member of the Miami Marlins when he was a rookie in the first of five seasons with the National League team. The final four of them were All-Star campaigns, although Miami traded him to the Tigers ahead of the 2008 season.
He became the face of the Tigers during the next 15 years with back-to-back MVPs in 2012 and 2013, a World Series appearance and a Triple Crown. The Triple Crown came in his first MVP season when he finished with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI for a team that lost to the San Francisco Giants in the Fall Classic.
It will all be enough for an all-but-guaranteed spot in the Hall of Fame once he hangs up the cleats, but that will apparently be on hold through at least the upcoming season.
Tigers' Miguel Cabrera Undecided on Retirement: 'I Don't Feel Well Right Now'
Aug 4, 2022
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JULY 26: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers runs in action against the San Diego Padres at Comerica Park on July 26, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
At 39 years old, Miguel Cabrera's career in Major League Baseball is undoubtedly winding down, and the Detroit Tigers veteran is unsure if he'll return for the 2023 season or retire.
Cabrera intends to meet with his agent, Tigers general manager Al Avila and others before making a decision about his status for 2023.
"I don't feel well right now," Cabrera told reporters Thursday. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play, but I don't feel really good right now."
Cabrera is set to earn $32 million with the Tigers in 2023, which is the final year of his contract.
The Venezuelan was diagnosed with a chronic right knee injury in 2019. At the time, he consulted four surgeons, but surgery was not recommended and he has been trying to manage the ailment since.
That management resulted in Cabrera shifting from first base to designated hitter, but he's still been experiencing issues with his knee, especially of late. Since July 8, the veteran is hitting just .132/.231/.206 with one home run and five RBI in 20 games.
For comparison, from April 8 through July 6, Cabrera was hitting .308/.347/.372 with three home runs and 31 RBI in 70 games.
With his production having plummeted, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch recently told reporters that he was going to try to give Cabrera some extra days off here and there.
"I've talked to him about playing time moving forward and trying to get him a few more regularly scheduled days off," Hinch said. "We want to take some at-bats and give them to some guys. I may sprinkle in a few more off days and be careful with him."
Hinch also mentioned that Cabrera has been "fighting" through the pain and that it's something the team has been monitoring.
Detroit is fourth in the AL Central with a 42-64 record. With no chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs, it would be wise to give Cabrera some much-needed rest.
If the star slugger's career comes to an end after the 2022 campaign, he'll undoubtedly be a candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Cabrera has spent the last 15 seasons of his career in Detroit after beginning his career with the then-Florida Marlins from 2003-07.
In five seasons with the Marlins, he was a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and helped the club capture the 2003 World Series title.
Since joining the Tigers, he has been selected to eight All-Star games, including seven straight from 2010-16, was named MVP in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013 and has earned five Silver Slugger awards.
In addition, Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012, which, at the time, was baseball's first in 45 years. He has also won the Batting Title four times, including three straight from 2011-13, with the fourth coming in 2015.
In 20 seasons, he is hitting .309/.385/.526 with 3,074 hits, 506 home runs and 1,840 RBI. He is one of 33 players in MLB history to have reached 3,000 hits and one of 28 players to have hit 500 home runs.
Royals' Amir Garrett on Video of Him Throwing Drink at Fan: 'Grown Men Talking Slick'
Aug 3, 2022
DETROIT, MI - JULY 2: Amir Garrett #24 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 2, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Amir Garrett was apparently tired of a fan at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago during Tuesday's game and threw his drink at the heckler.
Garrett replied to a tweet featuring video of the incident that happened during the Chicago White Sox's 9-2 win and said "the disrespect is insane in these parks" from "grown men talking slick."
Listen the disrespect is insane in these parks. I really wish I could go to someone’s work and run my mouth. These are grown men talking slick. How miserable do you have to be with your own life?
Garrett later apologized for his actions, per TMZ.com:
I owe the fan from last night's incident an apology. I realize my actions were uncalled for and that as players we are held to a higher standard and the chirping from fans is a part of today's game. I hope he can forgive me.
With that being said, I'm a human that makes mistakes. I will continue to grow and learn from any and all mistakes I make and appreciate everyone's support while doing so.
Again, I sincerely apologize to last night's fan and all fans who were around. This is a beautiful game that we share, as fans and as players. Let's continue to cherish our beautiful game together.
The southpaw pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the loss, allowing two walks.
He has struggled during his first season in the American League following five years with the Cincinnati Reds and has a 5.27 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. It is more of the same after he posted a 6.04 ERA last year, though he was excellent during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a 2.45 ERA.
Garrett has something of a reputation as someone who won't back down. That has been with fellow players, however, and not fans.
He famously charged the entire Pittsburgh Pirates bench during a 2019 game, and the photograph of him fighting his National League Central rivals was chosen as one of CNN's photographs of the year.
The 30-year-old also had multiple run-ins with Javier Baez when the latter was a member of the Chicago Cubs. The two exchanged words multiple times, and Garrett was even suspended for five games for his role in a benches-clearing incident.
He was back in the headlines with another Chicago team Tuesday, though his frustration was apparently with at least one fan this time.
Garrett and the Royals are playing out the string at this point of the season with a 41-63 record, which is good enough for fifth place in the American League Central.
White Sox's Tim Anderson Suspended 3 Games for Making Contact with Umpire
Jul 30, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 29: Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox is tossed from the game after apparent contact with umpire Nick Mahrley #48 in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 29, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been suspended three games for making contact with home plate umpire Nick Mahrley in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
Anderson is appealing the suspension and will be able to play until there's an official ruling.
After Anderson was ejected while contesting a high strike call, he appeared to bump into Mahrley's head with his helmet.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa was also tossed from the game.
It's no surprise Anderson got upset with the strike call as the White Sox were down 5-3 at the time. In addition, Chicago is in a tight battle for the AL Central lead, just three games behind the Minnesota Twins for first in the division.
Friday's loss saw the White Sox drop to 49-50.
La Russa supported his player after the game, via Gavin Good of the Associated Press (h/t Yahoo):
“I don’t think Tim cursed him or anything. If you don’t allow a player to be emotional, (and) you have a bunch of robots out here playing, that’s not entertaining. That at-bat, I thought the pitches were questionable. He got upset. I think you need to allow players to spark, as long as they don’t cross a line. And that thing escalated before Tim did anything. He’s fired up. That’s the way he plays. That’s the way you’re supposed to play.”
Anderson received a one-game suspension earlier this season for giving fans the middle finger during an April matchup against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. However, his punishment was reduced to just a fine after an appeal.
The 29-year-old is having another solid season in Chicago, slashing .310/.351/.414 with six home runs, 25 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 71 games.
If Anderson's suspension is upheld, the White Sox can turn to Leury Garcia at shortstop. However, he hasn't been nearly as effective this year, hitting .205/.230/.270 with three home runs, 17 RBI and one stolen base in 73 games.
